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The Best of Walt Disney World for Seniors

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The Best of Walt Disney World for Seniors

Welcome back to Part 6 of my blog series – The Best of Walt Disney World! In case you missed it, over the next several weeks, I’ll be sharing with you the top picks in attractions for various groups of travelers visiting the Walt Disney World theme parks. So far we’ve discussed favorites for babiespreschoolersgrade school kids, teens and adults. Next up are the still-going-strong seniors. When checking out the list, keep in mind each attraction that made the cut scored at least four stars by the seniors surveyed. Come on, everybody, here we go!

The Best of Magic Kingdom for Seniors

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
©Disney

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Location: Frontierland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Drops, Fast
4½ Stars

Don’t let the name fool you; this is definitely more roller coaster than railroad. Take a ride in a runaway mine cart at speeds up to 35 mph through an old mining town. More Details

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Location: Tomorrowland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Spinning, Dark, Slow
4½ Stars

Climb aboard and take aim as you help Buzz Lightyear save the universe from the evil Emperor Zurg. Ride along on this slow-moving attraction where you control the spinning as you shoot your laser and score points. More Details

Country Bear Jamboree

Location: Frontierland
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Entertainment
4 Stars

Clap your hands and stomp your feet along with these lovable Audio-Animatronic bears as they sing humorous, old-fashioned country songs. More Details

“it’s a small world”

Location: Fantasyland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Slow, Dark
4½ Stars

Sail away on this joyful cruise past child-like dolls wearing their nation’s authentic clothing while singing one of the most well-known songs of all time. More Details

Jungle Cruise

Location: Adventureland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Slow
4½ Stars

Set off on a fun-filled cruise through the wild where you’ll encounter Animatronic elephants, gorillas, and headhunters while enjoying the hilarious narration delivered by your top-notch skipper. More Details

Liberty Square Riverboat

Location: Liberty Square
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Slow
4 Stars

Cruise aboard an authentic steam-powered paddle-wheel boat while enjoying stunning views of Frontierland, Liberty Square, and Tom Sawyer Island. More Details

Mickey’s PhilharMagic

Location: Fantasyland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

Lose yourself in this enchanting 3D musical masterpiece featuring favorite Disney characters and songs from animated classics. More Details

Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor

Location: Tomorrowland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

The monsters of Monstropolis need laughter to power their city and they are after yours in this hilarious interactive show. More Details

Peter Pan’s Flight

Location: Fantasyland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Small Drops, Dark, Slow
4½ Stars

Climb aboard a magical pirate ship and fly high over London with Peter Pan on your way to Never Land. Unique to this attraction, your pirate ship is suspended in the air from a guide rail to allow for a more authentic flying sensation. More Details

Pirates of the Caribbean

Location: Adventureland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Small Drops, Dark, Slow
4½ Stars

Climb aboard and set sail on a voyage past exquisitely themed scenes of pirates’ adventures from the blockbuster movie franchise. More Details

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Location: Fantasyland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Drops, Fast
4½ Stars

Climb aboard your mine train and get ready for an adorable ride filled with small thrills and beautiful details as you adventure along with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. More Details

Splash Mountain

Location: Frontierland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Big Drops, Water
4½ Stars

Journey on a 10-minute anything but traditional log flume ride, with enchanting music (including “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”) and characters from the Disney movie Song of the South. You will get wet! More Details

The Haunted Mansion

Location: Frontierland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Slow, Dark
4½ Stars

Board your own Doom Buggy for a creepy tour of this spooky haunted house filled with extraordinary details and effects. More Details

Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

Location: Tomorrowland
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Slow, Dark
4½ Stars

Take a relaxing ride on this smooth tram of the future that provides fantastic views of Tomorrowland and Cinderella Castle; especially beautiful at night. More Details

Under The Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid

Location: Fantasyland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Slow, Dark
4 Stars

Climb aboard your own giant clam shell as you journey under the seas with Ariel and the gang. More Details

Walt Disney World Railroad

Location: Main Street, U.S.A., Frontierland, Fantasyland
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Slow
4½ Stars

Enjoy beautiful views while riding the rails on a vintage steam-powered train during a 1.5-mile full loop around Magic Kingdom. A great place to rest your feet! More Details

Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

Location: Tomorrowland
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

Travel in time from 1900 to the present in a rotating theatre as you witness how technology has changed over the decades through the eyes of an Audio-Animatronic family. More Details

The Best of Epcot for Seniors

Living with the Land
©Disney

Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival

Location: Future World
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

Enjoy this lively and entertaining 3D experience that includes three animated Disney short films. More Details

Impressions de France

Location: World Showcase France Pavilion
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

A lovely 18-minute film featuring the beauty of France set to moving music. More Details

Living with the Land

Location: Future World
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Slow, Dark
4½ Stars

Hop aboard this relaxing boat ride to learn about food production and to tour several greenhouses that actually provide food to The Land pavilion. More Details

O Canada!

Location: World Showcase Canada Pavilion
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Entertainment
4 Stars

A charming 18-minute film showcasing the magnificent scenery of Canada, hosted by actor Martin Short. More Details

Soarin’

Location: Future World
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Small Drops, Slow, Dark
Height Restriction: 40″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Fly high in the skies taking in beautiful landscapes from around the world in this hang-gliding simulator ride. More Details

Spaceship Earth

Location: Future World
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Slow, Dark
4½ Stars

Travel through time to relive the story of communication from the beginning of recorded history until today. More Details

Test Track

Location: Future World
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Small Drops, Dark, Fast
Height Restriction: 40″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Create your own virtual concept car and then put it through the paces against other people’s creations on the test track. More Details

The American Adventure

Location: World Showcase America Pavilion
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

A stirring and patriotic show depicting the history of America brought to life with touching stories, beautiful photography, and moving music. More Details

Turtle Talk with Crush

Location: Future World
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4 Stars

Adults and kids alike will be entranced by this interactive marvel where young dudes and dudettes can have a hilarious improvised conversation with the sweetest turtle around, Crush. More Details

The Best of Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Seniors

Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage
©Disney

Beauty and the Beast – Live On Stage

Location: Sunset Boulevard
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

Watch this enchanting retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast filled with delightful music and dancing that everyone is sure to enjoy! More Details

For the First Time In Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration

Location: Echo Lake
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

A retelling of Frozen by the outrageously funny royal historians of Arendelle complete with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, songs, stories, sing-alongs, and even snow. More Details

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!

Location: Echo Lake
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

An incredible stunt show that demonstrates and explains how some of the Indiana Jones movie magic was made. More Details

Muppet*Vision 3D

Location: Streets of America
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

Join the Muppets for this delightful and hilarious 3D feature filled with fun and surprises sure to be a hit with the entire family. More Details

Star Tours: The Adventure Continues

Location: Echo Lake
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Drops, Dark, Loud
Height Restriction: 40″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Blast off on an exciting 3D motion-simulated journey into the world of Star Wars. More Details

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Location: Sunset Boulevard
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Big Drops, Dark
Height Restriction: 40″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Embark on a tour of the Hollywood Hotel and into the haunted elevator that plummets 13 stories. More Details

Toy Story Midway Mania!

Location: Pixar Place
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Spinning
4½ Stars

Climb aboard and try your hand at simulated 3D midway games with the Toy Story gang. More Details

Walt Disney Presents

Location: Mickey Avenue
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Experience
4½ Stars

A fascinating exhibit of Walt Disney memorabilia and models of upcoming Disney theme park projects. More Details

The Best of Disney’s Animal Kingdom for Seniors

Expedition Everest
©Disney

Avatar Flight of Passage

Location: Pandora – The World of Avatar
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Drops
Height Restriction: 44″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Board a banshee for a one-of-a-kind extraordinary flight soaring high above the moon’s magnificent landscape. More Details

Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain

Location: Asia
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Big Drops, Dark, Fast
Height Restriction: 44″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Climb aboard your train for an exhilarating ride through the Himalayan Mountains. More Details

Festival of the Lion King

Location: Africa
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

This 30-minute extravaganza combines puppetry, acrobatics, and music to tell the moving story of The Lion King. More Details

Finding Nemo – The Musical

Location: Dinoland U.S.A.
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

This Broadway-caliber production is an impressive combination of music, puppets, lighting, colors, and special effects that together tell the story of Nemo. More Details

Flights of Wonder

Location: Asia
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

A trainer demonstrates the incredible talents of several exotic birds. Keep in mind that some of these fine-feathered friends swoop into the audience. More Details

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail

Location: Africa
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Experience
4½ Stars

A tranquil pathway where you observe animals such as gorillas and meerkat. More Details

It’s Tough to Be a Bug!

Location: Discovery Island
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

Be fully immersed as you watch this 3D adventure about the life of bugs hosted by Flik from the movie A Bug’s Life. More Details

Kali River Rapids

Location: Africa
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Small Drops, Spinning, Water
Height Restriction: 38″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Climb aboard your raft for an incredibly wet and wild ride down the river and through the lush jungle. More Details

Kilimanjaro Safaris

Location: Africa
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Slow, Bumpy
4½ Stars

Climb aboard an open-air safari vehicle for an 18-minute journey through the savanna where you can spot exotic creatures like hippos, elephants, giraffes, and lions in gorgeous natural settings. These animals are the real deal; no Audio-Animatronics here. More Details

Maharajah Jungle Trek

Location: Asia
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Experience
4½ Stars

A self-guided pathway where you can observe several animals such as tigers, deer, foxes, and birds. More Details

Na’vi River Journey

Location: Pandora – The World of Avatar
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Dark, Slow
4½ Stars

Enjoy a gentle, dark boat ride along a mysterious river through the bioluminescent rainforest of Pandora. More Details

Well, there you have it folks. I hope you’ve enjoyed Part 6 of The Best of Walt Disney World series. Look for the final installment Part 7 – The Best of Walt Disney World for Families coming soon!

Other Posts In This Series:

Have you traveled to Walt Disney World as a senior? Do you agree with this list? Have any additions or subtractions? Please leave a comment; we would love to hear from you!

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Kristi Fredericks

Kristi is a lifelong fan of all things Disney and has been visiting the resorts since she was a baby. She is thrilled to share her passion for the Disney parks and feels that there is nothing better than enjoying a Disney vacation with the ones you love. Kristi is the author of "A Tale of Two Resorts: Comparing Disneyland and Walt Disney World" and "501 Ways To Make The Most Of Your Walt Disney World Vacation" and founder of the blog DisneyWorldEnthusiast.com. She can be contacted on Twitter @DWEnthusiast, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/disneyworldenthusiast or by email at disneyworldenthusiast@outlook.com.

14 thoughts on “The Best of Walt Disney World for Seniors

  • I have to say, you were pretty “right-on”with your list. I just can’t handle RnRC and SM, but FOP is a new favorite attraction for me. My husband and I look forward to many more years of Disney World Fun.

    Reply
    • Hi Pattie – So happy to hear that you felt my list was on target! I hope seniors aren’t scared off by Disney billing Avatar Flight of Passage (FOP) as a thrill ride. It is so well done and smooth, that barring any health restrictions, I think so many seniors will love it. My parents definitely do! I hope you and your husband have many more wonderful vacations to Walt Disney World…a perfect place to never grow up! 🙂

      Reply
  • As a senior, I’ve gone to WDW many times, sometimes with friends and sometimes by myself, and had a ball. As of this year, however, I have some mobility limitations. I’d love an article about how limitations affect the enjoyment of each ride, park by park. For example, when do you have to step down into a boat? Are there a lot of steps to climb? Can a cast member slow down a moving walkway? These are the kind of things you don’t even think about until it happens to you!

    Reply
    • Hi JoAnn – That is a fantastic idea for a post, and I’m sure you are not the only one with those questions. I’ll pass your suggestion onto my fellow bloggers here at TouringPlans, and we’ll see what we can put together for you! 🙂

      Reply
  • I’m a little surprised Space Mountain and Rock’n’Roller Coaster didn’t make the list.

    Reply
    • In Epcot, we love Turtle Talk with Crush. Yes its a children’s show, but at it’s heart is improve comedy. Seniors will laugh their heads off. Honest

      Reply
      • I couldn’t agree more, Chuck. Turtle Talk with Crush and Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor are two of Disney’s best interactive entertainment options…adorable, hilarious, and different every time, love them!

    • As a newly-minted senior, I’m pretty sure Space is in my past, and RnRC is likely not far away. They’re pretty rough for many of us oldsters.

      Separate question, but is there somewhere on the site where we can see a list of *all* the ratings, without having to look up each attraction/restaurant/resort one at a time?

      Reply
      • For each park, there’s an “Attractions” link you can navigate to – try looking under “Things to Do” if you’re just going by links on each page, then look for “Attractions”. The Magic Kingdom one can also be found at “https://touringplans.com/magic-kingdom/attractions”. There are similar pages for dining at each park. Not sure there’s a page that has all the things for all the parks on one page, but easy enough to go one park at a time.

      • Thanks so much, Brad, for passing along the info to Nicholas. TouringPlans readers are the best!

      • Hi Nicholas – We do have pages here on TouringPlans that conveniently list the “Senior Ratings” for all of the attractions at each park in one place. Here are the links for you…
        MK: https://touringplans.com/magic-kingdom/attractions/seniors-appeal
        Epcot: https://touringplans.com/epcot/attractions/seniors-appeal
        DHS: https://touringplans.com/hollywood-studios/attractions/seniors-appeal
        DAK: https://touringplans.com/animal-kingdom/attractions/seniors-appeal
        Hope this helps and here’s to many more magical trips to come with or without roller coasters! 🙂

      • Thanks, Kristi. And the lists are even sortable by various choices.
        Is there any sort of “master list” for dining, where I can find restaurants sorted by their ratings? (Even an area-by-area list would be helpful. I promised I’ve looked, but the site is a big place and I can’t promise I haven’t missed something.)
        Master lists are really helpful for referring friends who may be less expert than we are.

      • Little more searching and I see that each park has a list of table-service restaurants, but Epcot and DAK don’t include the ratings. (MK does, didn’t check the Studios.)
        But I couldn’t find, for example, a list of all the *resort* restaurants, even though I could find them by going to individual resort pages.
        The perfect thing would be something Jim and Len have done on the podcast – a discussion of the ratings property-wide. I suspect it’s just another page tapping in to the database that’s already on the site.

    • Hi Len – Space Mountain and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster were close to making the list; both pulling in solid 3 1/2 star ratings. I think the biggest factor in the lower ratings is by far the roughness of those rides. I’m guessing as I get older, I’m definitely going to feel those two coasters the next day. I already get a headache after RNRC most of the time, but it is so worth it!

      Reply

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